Good Afternoon. Orders of the day for Tuesday, December 17, 1991. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput.

We have stated on numerous occasions that this government is determined to transfer significantly more authority, responsibility and resources to communities. However, it is not just a matter of what and how much we transfer to a community. It is also a matter of to whom.

In the case of communities above the treeline, we can predict that in most cases the institution accepting the transfer will be the local, public, community government. However, the issue in Dene communities is far more complex. Chiefs and band councils have been the traditional self-governing structure of Dene communities at least since the signing of Treaties 8 and 11 in 1899 and 1921 respectively. They are also institutions recognized by the federal Indian Act. Despite the establishment of public municipal bodies in many Dene communities in recent years, the chief and band council have remained a vital and important institution, and they will continue to play an important role in the future.

Ministers had the opportunity to attend portions of the Dene leadership in Rae last month. On behalf of the government, Minister Stephen Kakfwi expressed to the chiefs our sincere desire to improve our relations with the Dene Nation and each chief and to find ways we can work together co-operatively over the next four years. Mr. Kakfwi described our community transfer initiative, restated our recognition of an aboriginal right to self-government, and expressed our belief that aboriginal self-government can best be implemented in the North within the context of a public government system. He invited the chiefs to accept our offer of co-operation and to consider ways Dene bands might participate in the community transfer initiative.

As a follow-up to this offer, I am pleased to announce that a grant will be provided to each band council in the Northwest Territories...

---Applause

...to assist it to prepare itself for discussions about community transfers, including the continuing role of the chief and band council. The grants are for the remainder of this fiscal year, and the total amount of $233,360 will be divided among the 21 bands and five sub-bands.

Many communities in the North have expressed a desire to assume more powers and responsibilities. We want to make real progress in this direction, and we are optimistic that Dene communities will find ways to take full advantage of the opportunities that more authority at the community will provide. Thank you.

---Applause

Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to inform the House that the new network, Television Northern Canada, will begin broadcasting across the Northwest Territories on January 13, 1992. The official inauguration of the network will take place on January 21, 1992, with a three-hour live telecast to mark the occasion.

The Governor General and the federal Minister of Communications have accepted the invitation of Television Northern Canada to officially inaugurate the network in Iqaluit. All Members of this House are being invited by Television Northern Canada to participate as well. The telecast will involve live broadcasting from Television Northern Canada centres in Iqaluit, Yellowknife and Whitehorse, where people will gather to celebrate.

Television Northern Canada will truly span the North in its coverage and audience. Every community in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Arctic Quebec and Northern Labrador will be receiving Television Northern Canada programming.

The Government of the NWT can be proud of its vision for and participation in Television Northern Canada. Acknowledging the great power of television, Culture and Communications convened a meeting in 1987 of aboriginal broadcasters and other interested parties to discuss the potential of a northern broadcasting network. From these discussions, Television Northern Canada was born.

Television Northern Canada represents the best of co-operative broadcasting. Northern aboriginal broadcasters and government organizations have co-ordinated their energies and worked together to ensure that we are not competing for limited financial resources and a limited audience but that we are supporting one another, with each partner having freedom to produce what it feels is best.

As the Television Northern Canada concept became a reality, this government has continued to play a major role in Television Northern Canada's growth through the provision of financial and staff resources and by assisting to secure ongoing funding from the federal government.

Television Northern Canada programming will be produced by aboriginal broadcasters, including the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, the Inuvialuit Communications Society, Native Communications Society, Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon, Taqramiut Nipingat of Arctic Quebec, the Okalakatiget Society of Labrador, and Wawatay of Northern Ontario. In addition, Mr. Speaker, programs will be provided by GNWT departments, Arctic College, Yukon College, Labrador Community College, the Kativik School Board of Arctic Quebec, and CBC Northern Service.

Television Northern Canada programming, being controlled by the partners, will feature issues from a northern perspective that are of daily importance to northern people. Constitutional development, land claims, environmental and social issues will be reviewed. Any one of the partners can choose to use its air time to broadcast proceedings from this Legislature, committee hearings, the Arctic Winter Games, special conferences or events. The opportunity exists for the creation of a northern version of "The Nation's Business," a program where Members of this House have an opportunity to discuss issues with the public.

And very importantly, the use of aboriginal languages on Television Northern Canada will not only allow for greater northern understanding of issues but send clear messages about the importance of language and culture.

The potential communications value of a television network that reaches every household in the North is vast. Television Northern Canada is a remarkable opportunity for Northerners to communicate directly with Northerners. The effect of Television Northern Canada will be to shrink distances between home and school, between communities and between cultures.

The power of television is great. Now in the hands of Northerners, that power can be used for the benefit of all Northerners. This government is proud to be working alongside the aboriginal broadcasters and other northern governments to develop the full potential of northern television. I invite you to tune in to Television Northern Canada in January and to celebrate the beginning of a new era in northern communications. Thank you.

---Applause

Ministers' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two. At the appropriate time today I will be tabling the report of the task force on legal aid. This report is the work of a task force which was appointed by the Legal Services Board in 1990 to review the delivery of legal aid in the NWT and make recommendations for future directions. The report was received by the legal services board in November, and the board has provided it to me with the request that it be made public. The report of the task force covers some of the same matters as are dealt with in the "Strength At Two Levels" report, but the task force on legal aid recommendations cover

a broad range of service delivery and organizational issues as well as financial concerns. The report contains 65 recommendations.

The members of the task force were all persons who had experience with different aspects of the legal aid system. In the course of their work, they visited several communities and spoke to interested persons across the Territories.

I wish to thank chairperson Adrian Wright and the members of the task force on legal aid for their thoughtful report and recommendations. It is obviously premature to say which of those recommendations should be accepted, but in the coming weeks and months this government will be reviewing the report of the task force on legal aid and conferring with the Legal Services Board on its recommendations. I invite all honourable Members to let me know their views about the contents of the report.

Mr. Speaker, if I may, the Department of Safety and Public Services has taken another step in support of our government's efforts to reduce incidents of propane sniffing in the Northwest Territories. It is now releasing the recently completed anti-abuse video "Straight Shooting" to NWT schools. The 28-minute video was filmed in Cape Dorset by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation for the office of the Fire Marshal. It will be used in "Learn Not To Burn" presentations in NWT schools.

The actors in this video are not professional. They are young adults from the hamlet of Cape Dorset who, as first time actors, have done a remarkable job in delivering a very serious message in a way that touches all age groups.

Mr. Speaker, we must learn from our fire loss records; we must change our lifestyles so that our children are not left unsupervised when they are too young to reason or react; we must get the matches and lighters out of reach of children and teach them the dangers of playing with fires, and we must start controlling our use of alcohol so that alcohol is not a contributing factor to fires.

I would urge each Member of this Assembly to take every opportunity to speak to their constituents about fire prevention. Qujannamiik.

---Applause

Ministers' statements. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the chairperson of the ordinary Members' caucus, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Government Leader on a commitment she has made to allow ordinary MLAs to participate in the development of the 1992-93 capital estimates and to scrutinize future years' requests. In keeping with her commitment of more open government and greater ordinary Member involvement, the Government Leader has agreed, yesterday, to provide Members with copies of community budget submissions. In past years this information was with held from Members, and as a result, Members were excluded from the planning process. It has been past practice that Members attempted to exert influence by introducing formal motions in the House. It has become apparent that this practice can only lead to chaos. Ordinary Members agreed that capital projects should be based on need and should not be brought down to the level of debating one region against the other, or community against community.

This information will be invaluable to the ordinary Members as we attempt to prioritize the capital needs of our communities for the coming year. Delivery of these documents will provide us with this opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Zoe.

Members' statements. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start this afternoon by hoping that this House has a sense of humour. I would like to use my statement today to congratulate Canadian Airlines International on becoming a corporate partner in Expo '92. It is my understanding of the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism's statement to this House on Friday that as part of the sponsorship agreement, Canadian Airlines would provide business class seats to GNWT employees travelling to Seville for the price of an economy class ticket.

I note, Mr. Speaker, that we are using this airline as our exclusive air carrier to travel back and forth to Seville. I am quite sure that this service had little or nothing to do with our agreeing to the corporate sponsorship package. This offer shows Canadian Airlines' deep commitment to the North and its people, and I am quite heartened by their concern for the comfort and extra leg-room for GNWT employees.

I would like to offer the suggestion that Canadian Airlines could continue their generous ways by extending the same offer to other groups in our society who perhaps need this service more, such as elders who have to travel by air...

---Applause

...students who have to travel to attend school, and our sick people who have to travel to the hospitals.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote, for the benefit of Canadian Airlines, a famous Christmas character, Ebenezer Scrooge, who when asked if he would contribute to some well-meaning charity said, "Bah, humbug!"

---Laughter

---Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Arvaluk.

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, today I want to express my condolences to David Ovinqayak's family. David is from Arviat. He did not recover from heart surgery during his operation. David Ovinqayak has been active with the Inuit Cultural Institute for over 15 years and has produced books on Inuit cultures, including "Arctic Survival," which is intended for everyone in the Arctic.

Some of you may remember that he travelled by snowmobile from Arviat to Baker Lake, Gjoa Haven, Spence Bay, Pelly Bay, Repulse Bay and back to Arviat via Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove. He has walked from Churchill, Manitoba to Arviat all by himself, recording the camps where his ancestors used to live and travel. Before he died, he wrote a book about his travels and his knowledge of the land and its contents. He was making final touches with his publishers when he died on Saturday.

Mr. Speaker, it is very sad to see a friend like David to go, but happy that he has contributed to make us all richer inside. Thank you.

---Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Employment prospects in the North are practically non-existent in the communities. It is becoming increasingly difficult to earn a living. The government has stated for some time now that they will give preference to northern contractors who put in a bid. To date, this has not yet happened. As of this minute, there is a contractor from my riding who is from the South and who does not have a single Inuk working for him. Seeing this is very depressing. Although this has been improving slowly, we have been trying to tell the government to hire northern contractors to keep the economy going in the communities. When the government hires southern contractors, they should tell the contractors to hire the people from the communities because jobs are hard to come by in the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Dent.

Members' statements. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to address this House today as the chairman of the Nunavut caucus. First, I would like to thank the Members of the Nunavut caucus for their faith and confidence in me to continue to be the chairman of the Nunavut caucus for the time being.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the Members of this Assembly that we are proposing to hold a summit of Inuit leaders in Iqaluit during the last week of January 1992. The participants at this proposed summit are Inuit leaders working for our people at the local, regional and national level through the different organizations such as Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, Pauktuutit, Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, and regional council representatives. Also, Members of our own Nunavut caucus will be taking part at this summit.

We are working toward the same goal, which is the control of our own destiny in order to ensure a good life for our people. Because of the conditions in the society that surrounds us and the incredible changes we have to adjust to in such rapid succession, we find ourselves today, as leaders, in a critical time. It is a time when our leaders are called to make decisions that will greatly affect our present circumstances as well as our future. We need to come together, as is our tradition in such times, to talk, to evaluate where we are, where we wish to go and how we can best support each other to work in a united way, as we have always done.

These are difficult times, not just for Inuit, but for all people in our country. Canada itself is facing an uncertain future. The effects of the current economic recession are being felt here in our northern communities as well, and at all levels of government. Our hunters and trappers find themselves in a life and death struggle for the protection of their way of life.

Mr. Allooloo, your time has expired. Are you seeking unanimous consent to proceed?

Please.

Unanimous consent has been requested. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Members. Our hunters and trappers find themselves in a life and death struggle for the protection of their way of life with the extreme elements of the animal rights movement.

But hardship is not new to my people. We have experienced new diseases that our bodies could not fight. When game was scarce, we starved. With the coming of industrial society our families were ripped apart and our children sent away to residential schools. Alcoholism, drug abuse, and other new social problems now cripple many of our communities today. In a very short time, especially in the last 30 years, the basic values of the Inuit way of life were completely turned upside down and a whole new set of rules, still foreign to us, were put in place by those who came to our lands. As a result of this imposed system, we find that those in positions of power, such as judges, lawyers, doctors, nurses, educators and bureaucrats at the top positions, are not of our people. Therefore, we find ourselves governed by others, using their methods of government.

One example of how the law in Canada dealt with native people is the fact that until 1960 no aboriginal person or native of mixed blood was allowed to testify in court in British Columbia.

In 1960, when I was a child, only 30 years ago, the law was revised to allow native people to testify on their own behalf. However, even the revision said that native people were "uncivilized, destitute of knowledge of God, they had no clear belief in religion and they knew nothing of a future state of rewards and punishments." No aboriginal person in Canada could legally vote until the year 1960.

This gross misunderstanding of our cultures is changing, but only because, I believe, Mr. Speaker, native people have shown strong conviction in their own beliefs and an amazing ability to adapt to new ways of life and survive.

We possessed, and still possess today, an incredibly rich system of knowledge that guided our thoughts and actions, as individuals and as a people, a system that enabled us not only to survive but to thrive in a part of the world that is considered the harshest inhabited by human beings. But this is our homeland which we love.

Now we are told that our homeland does not belong to us. They tell us that we must negotiate if we want to have a say in how our land is managed and protected. The Inuit have always viewed themselves as the protectors of the land and its resources. This was a responsibility shared by all Inuit. Now we are told that in order to protect our land we must own it and obtain title to it from others. That same society promotes the rights and interests of the individual above that of the community. This is a concept that cuts cross the heart of traditional Inuit values and culture because while we have always respected the freedom of the individual, the welfare of all the people was the guiding principle. We needed to work together. That is how we have survived. We need to work together today.

In spite of terrible hardships, we have survived. We are rebuilding our communities; we are fighting to protect our languages; and we continue to practise the traditions given to us by our ancestors, which have guided my people for thousands of years.

It is time for my people to regroup and come together to plan for the survival of our homeland and our people.

It is my personal view that in order for us to achieve a consensus on a common agenda for our future, we must draw on our strengths of the past. We must set aside our individual needs and seek out solutions that are of greatest benefit to the whole community. The need to work together for a common purpose is greater now than it has ever been.

The agenda for the proposed summit includes the creation of Nunavut, a discussion on the boundary plebiscite, a review of our land claim negotiations and a discussion on various constitutional matters. Most importantly, we have to discuss ways in which we can help each other. Our people and our leaders are faced with tremendous stress today, and expectations, and we need to reach out to one another and offer our encouragement and support, as is our way.

We recognize that our people are facing many crucial decisions, and we want our voices to be united and our vision to be clear. It is important that the direction we choose is supported by our communities and follows in the footsteps of our ancestors, who have walked through this life with purpose and confidence. The principles that we identify together will be a guide for us in governing ourselves and to determine our destiny.

It gives me great pride to inform the Members of this Assembly that our leadership, including our elders, our youth, our women, will be represented at the proposed summit. This most important Inuit summit will help us to redefine our purpose and reach agreement on our priorities.

We must carry on the tradition of Qudliq, the symbol of the continuous burning light that used to warm our homes and spirits. The fire has been burning out. It is time for us to rekindle it, to make it strong again, so that we may find our strength and our ways once more.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the present and the future hold many problems and obstacles, but this knowledge will only serve to strengthen our resolve to overcome these difficult times. The trail ahead may be rough and obscure, but we continue on, knowing that our people have pulled through very difficult times before and their passing has marked the path. Our will to survive is as strong as it ever was, and I am confident that by coming together we will ensure that our future as Inuit will be made better for our children of tomorrow.

I have great confidence that this summit will achieve what I have outlined, and I am asking each one of you for your moral support. Qujannamiik.

---Applause

Thank you. I allowed pretty broad latitude for the definition of Members' statements because of the importance of the issue, but I hope that Members will respect the definition of Members' statements and only take advantage of the generosity at the appropriate time. Members' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Members' statements. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the pleasure of living very close to this building where we work when the Legislature is sitting and having listened to Mr. Allooloo and the word "home" and "homeland", it made me think that probably this Legislature has never sat this close to Christmas before. So I would like to wish all Members God speed in their journeys back home, where they will join their families, because this time of the year the word "home" and "homeland" and "family", means so much to everybody.

So I would like to ask all Members, in the spirit of the season and the spirit of co-operation, to try to get the work of this Legislature done in a responsible manner and in a co-operative fashion so that we can all finish tomorrow, so that people can get home for Christmas.

We hope there is no Scrooge in this Assembly.

---Laughter

Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to Question O91-12(1), asked by Mr. Antoine on December 13, 1991. I would like to confirm what the Government Leader said on Friday, December 13, 1991. There is no arrangement for the Government of British Columbia to contact the Government of the NWT before permits are issued to log areas bordering the NWT. We will contact the Government of British Columbia on this issue. Thank you.

Returns to oral questions. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Returns to oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Arngna'naaq on December 13, 1991. On December 13, 1991, the Member for Kivallivik reported a difficulty the hamlet of Arviat had experienced in ordering replacement lighting for the non-directional air navigation beacon at the Arviat airport. The Member suggested that the difficulty was a result of the transfer agreement for the Arctic B and C airports program between the federal and territorial governments which was completed this last February 1991.

The agreement transferred to the territorial Department of Transportation the ownership and the responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the airport lands, the runways, the airport buildings and the ground visual aids of the Arviat airport. The transfer agreement did not include responsibility for the electronic air navigation aids. Air navigation systems are national in scope, and remain the exclusive responsibility of the federal government.

My officials at the Department of Transportation have investigated the Member's report, and I believe the lights the Member referred to in his question were the obstruction lights on top of Arviat airport's non-directional beacon tower. On October 15, 1991, the observer /communicator on duty at the Arviat airport reported the failure of lights to Transport Canada officials in Rankin Inlet. Transport Canada issued a Notice To Airmen, NOTAM, concerning the non-directional beacon tower's obstruction lights. By November 15th, a month later, Transport Canada had not repaired the faulty lights.

The hamlet of Arviat wished to replace the lights themselves. The Department of Transportation would not authorize the hamlet's expenditure of moneys on what is properly a federal responsibility. More importantly, while the department commends the hamlet's commitment to air safety, it did not wish hamlet employees to climb the 182-foot high beacon tower to replace the lamps.

On November 15th, the Department of Transportation reminded Transport Canada that the tower lights on the non-directional beacon were still not working. On November 28th, Transport Canada sent two tower maintenance technicians to Arviat who safely replaced the obstruction warning lights on the tower. The delay in repairing the beacon lights in Arviat was not the result of the Arctic airports transfer agreement. Thank you.

Returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I direct my question to the Minister of Health. Will the Minister of Health be able to advise this House how many health boards, whether regional boards or boards of management, there are in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Minister of Health,

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether he took it as notice, but it appears that he has not. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the Minister of Health would be able to tell me, out of these boards, how many chairmen are appointed at pleasure. Thank you.

Minister of Health.

Second supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Chairman, I guess I am concerned with respect to some of these health boards having the chairmen appointed by the Minister of Health and their appointments being at pleasure. Realistically, a chairman could be there for 20 years if the process allowed. However, I would like to ask the Minister of Health if he would consider applying an expiry date on the terms of the chairmen of health boards who are appointed at pleasure. Thank you.

Minister of Health.

Is the question taken as notice, Mr. Minister? Okay, the question is not taken as notice. Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, in as much as he attempted to answer my question, I would just hope that he would give me a specific answer, whether he would say yes or no. Will the Minister of Health consider looking at placing an expiry date on the terms of the chairmen of these boards where it is stated that they are at pleasure, as opposed to a specific date? Will he consider placing an expiry date to their pleasure terms, if I may state?

Minister of Health.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Minister of Social Services.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Minister of Social Services.

Second supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Minister of Social Services.

Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend our appreciation to Mr. Pollard who is now with us today. I thought maybe he was hiding. Yesterday Mr. Pollard indicated in a return to a question from Mr. Dent that he was going to attempt to supply this House with the revised budget and breakdown of expenditures with respect to Expo '92, and that he would provide a report outlining the expected benefits resulting from the participation at Expo in 1992, and he would also provide an outline of expenses and revenues in the GNWT's participation in Expo in 1986. Would the Minister consider putting a hold on further commitments on Expo '92 in Seville until such time as this House has been provided with the appropriate documentation to determine what the net impact to Northerners is of this expenditure?

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated the other day, this government has no intentions of pulling out of the exposition in Seville. If I were to say I was prepared to put the thing on hold right now, then I think a lot of our people out there who are corporate sponsors and partners in this particular venture, the people who we have offered jobs to, the people we have signed contracts with, the people we have agreed to buy carvings from and handicrafts, the people we entered into negotiations on fish and musk-ox with, would all see that this project was in jeopardy. I am not prepared to say that at this particular time or in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I will supply the information to all Members of the House that Mr. Dent requested yesterday under a written question. But we have no intentions of pulling out of the exposition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the total budget for Expo is four million dollars. Is the Minister prepared to put his department and his reputation on the line, that that department will meet those commitments, or if there are significant overruns in Expo, that he will be accountable for it?

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, I am accountable for anything that that department does.

Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Economic development is on the rise in the Baffin. Tourism in Cape Dorset has fully progressed. A lot of the businesses that were involved in outfitting were running very well but they are not any more. However, outside of Cape Dorset this activity is on a downslide again. Do they still have plans to encourage economic development activity within the Baffin area, to encourage outfitters and tourism?

We have some students from our regions taking economic development-related courses. I understand they are taking outfitting courses. I understand they will be finished in March. I understand the funding for those programs will be cut off. I want further information on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Pudlat, in future if you could just ask one question at a time. We will treat that as two questions and you can give two answers to it.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware of there being some concern on Baffin Island in this regard. As I have said to the House before, what I would like to do is to meet individually with MLAs and perhaps regionally with MLAs and get some idea from them of how we can address their own particular problems. In this instance that is what is going to be required; finding out what people in the particular area feel is the answer to their problems.

As far as funding cuts for those programs, I am not aware of it, but I will look into it.

Oral questions. Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Social Services. When a grandmother dies and leaves behind grandchildren, the descendants who are then living receive inheritances.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, it falls under my responsibility. The Member, I believe, is referring to the situation of people who die without having written a will specifying what happens with their property following their death. In that event the matter is handled by the office of the public trustee which reports to me as Minister of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you. If you have any specific questions, perhaps you could deal with the Minister at your own leisure, Mr. Pudlat. Oral questions. Mr. Bernhardt.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Would the Minister please explain why 25 per cent of a person's salary is used for rental charges within the corporation?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Twenty-five per cent of gross salary is applied to rental units.

Supplementary, Mr. Bernhardt.

Can I ask why the figure of 25 per cent is used and how did it come about? Who set the rate of 25 per cent of one person's salary?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice and I will supply the Member with a complete briefing.

The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the definition "principally engaged," the Minister indicated that the priorities and planning committee was consulted, the Department of Personnel, Department of Social Services, the Department of Renewable Resources, Department of Finance, Department of Justice and the Workers' Compensation Board were all consulted with regard to looking at the definition of principally engaged. I would like to ask the Minister if there are records of each department's opinion on what principally engaged means.

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the honourable Member is referring to some comments made to him in recent correspondence with me on the subject of hunters and trappers and claims before the Workers' Compensation Board. Mr. Speaker, I certainly would not want to get technical with the honourable Member in this House, but the correspondence does refer to decisions that were made by the previous government in 1990. I am not sure if the rules permit me to provide information about an issue that was dealt with by a previous government.

However, Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to provide the Member personally with as much background as I can on that particular issue and how it was handled by the previous government. Having said that, I would also want to assure this House that the issue needs attention and I plan to review it as a priority from here on in, and I do not think we need to confine ourselves to previous solutions when we are looking at this problem. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, the definition of "principally engaged" was not arrived at by the Workers' Compensation Board at all is what the Minister is indicating. I would also like to ask, of all the departments that were consulted I do not know if any of those people are aboriginal people, so I would like to ask the Minister if he will consider consulting aboriginal organizations as well to define "principally engaged."

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I think probably my first obligation as far as consulting representatives of aboriginal people, and indeed everyone, would be to consult with honourable Members who, I am sure, are very good representatives of the concerns of aboriginal people and aboriginal hunters and trappers. I intend to consult with Members and especially the honourable Member who is obviously very interested in and informed on this issue. I am not adverse to also consulting other organizations, but I would say that I believe that the Members of this Assembly are probably quite capable spokesmen for the interests of aboriginal people and hunters with respect to the WCB. Thank you.

Further supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the Minister read his own letter but later on in his letter he did say that the coverage for hunters and trappers from the Workers' Compensation Board would be removed and would be replaced by a memorandum of understanding or memorandum of agreement that was approved on June 28 of last year. I would like to ask whether or not we do have that memorandum of agreement in place now, and exactly what does that mean.

Mr. Patterson.

I will have to take that question on notice, Mr. Speaker, and get back to the Member as soon as I can. Thank you.

The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, in December the Minister, deputy ministers, and yourself, agreed to take cuts in their base salaries effective January 1, 1992. While I admire these honourable actions, Mr. Speaker, the Government Leader did not say for what term these cuts were. Can you advise me, please?

Madam Government Leader.

Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that it is starting January 1 and there is no end of term on that, but the beginning of the cuts will start on January 1.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Will these cuts be reflected in deputy ministers' terms of employment or contracts?

Madam Government Leader.

Mr. Speaker, it will be reflected in their pay for sure. Some deputy ministers do not have contracts, they are on salary, so however we make the deductions it will be off their salary.

Mr. Koe, supplementary.

Will these reductions also be indexed?